Constant current source

ABSTRACT

A constant current source comprises first and second complementary transistors with their emitter being connected to different poles of a direct voltage source U B  by emitter resistors R.sub. 1 and R 2  =nR 1  respectively, with the collector of the first transistor being connected to one pole of the source U B  via a load resistor, and with the collector of the second transistor being connected to the emitter of the first transistor; and a third transistor through which part of the current from the first or second transistors is taken and has its collector connected to one of the current electrodes of said first and second transistors and its emitter connected by an emitter resistance R 3  = mR 1  to one pole of the direct voltage supply voltages are applied to the respective bases of the transitors in accordance with the equations: 
     
         U.sub.1 = K.sub. 1 U.sub.B 
    
     
         u.sub.2 = u.sub.b - k.sub.2 u.sub.b 
    
     
         u.sub.3 = bU.sub.R1 
    
     where U R1  is the voltage drop across R 1  and K 1 , K 2 , b, n, and m are constants in which: 
     
         K.sub.2 = nK.sub.1 
    
     
         1/n = 1+1/b 
    
     
         m = b

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a constant current source with a current independent of the supply voltage and temperature.

Direct current sources, which have a high internal resistance compared to their ballast resistance and are as stable as possible, are required for the operation of transistor circuits. An important requirement of this direct current source consists in the fact that the current should be independent of the supply voltage in order to avoid any operating point displacement of the circuit in this way.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a circuit arrangement which produces an output which is independent of the supply direct voltage and temperature.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a constant current source comprising a direct voltage supply, a first transistor, a first emitter resistance connected between the emitter of the said first transistor and a first pole of said direct voltage supply, a load resistance connected between the collector of the first transistor and the second pole of said direct voltage supply a second transistor complementary to said first transistor, a second emitter resistance connected between the emitter of said second transistor and a said second pole of said direct voltage supply, means connecting the collector of said second transistor with the emitter of said first transistor, a third transistor through which part of the current from one of said first and second transistors is removed, a third emitter resistance connected between the emitter of said third transistor and one of said poles of said direct voltage supply with the circuit having the following characteristics:

    R.sub.2 = nR.sub.1

    r.sub.3 = mR.sub.1

    u.sub.1 = k.sub.1 u.sub.b

    u.sub.2 = u.sub.b - k.sub.2 u.sub.b

    u.sub.3 = bU.sub.R1

wherein

R₁ is the value of said first emitter resistance

R₂ is the value of said second emitter resistance

R₃ is the value of said third emitter resistance

U₁ is the voltage applied to the base of said first transistor

U₂ is the voltage applied to the base of said second transistor

U₃ is the voltage applied to the base of said third transistor

U_(B) is the voltage of the direct voltage supply

U_(R1) is the voltage drop across R₁

and K₁ K₂, n, m, and b are constants in which:

    K.sub.2 = nK.sub.1

    1/n = 1+1/b

    m = b

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a constant current source with an output current independent of the supply voltage and the temperature, comprising first and second complementary transistors the emitter of said first transistor being connected via an emitter resistance R₁ across which, in operation, a voltage U_(R1) drops, to one pole of a direct voltage supply U_(B), and the emitter of said second transistor being connected via an emitter resistance R₂ = nR₁ to the other pole of said direct voltage supply U_(B), the collector of said first transistor being connected via the load resistance for the current to said other pole of said direct voltage supply the collector of said second transistor being connected to the emitter of said first transistor, a further transistor T₃ through which a part of the current is removed from one of said first and second transistors, and whose collector is connected to one of the electrodes of said first and second transistors and whose emitter is connected via an emitter resistance R₃ = mR₁ to a terminal of said direct voltage supply; and wherein the following direct voltages with assigned indices:

    U.sub.1 = K.sub.1 U.sub.B, U.sub.2 = U.sub.B - K.sub.2 U.sub.B, U.sub.3 = bU.sub.R1,

are applied in operation to the bases of said first, second and further transistors and the circuit is so dimensioned to achieve a voltage and temperature-independent collector current I* through said load resistance of said first transistor such that the following interrelationships between the constants K₁, K₂, n, m, b apply:

    K.sub.2 = nK.sub.1, 1/n = 1+1/b, m = b.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a constant current source in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing another modification of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Basically, the invention proposes that the circuit has two complementary transistors T₁, T₂, wherein the emitter of the first transistor T₁ is connected via an emitter resistance R₁, across which the voltage U_(R1) drops in operation, to one pole of the direct supply voltage U_(B) and the emitter of the second transistor T₂ is connected via an emitter resistance R₂ = n.sup.. R₁ to the other pole of the direct voltage supply U_(B), that the collector of the second transistor T₂ is connected to the emitter of the first transistor T₁, that a further transistor T₃ is provided by which a part of the current is removed from one of the two other transistors, T₁ and T₂ wherein this third transistor T₃ is connected via an emitter resistance R₃ = mR₁ to a pole of the direct voltage supply U_(B), that there are applied to the three base electrodes of the transistors present, in operation, the following direct voltage with assigned indices:

    U.sub.1 = K.sub.1 U.sub.B, U.sub.2 = U.sub.B - K.sub.2 U.sub.B, U.sub.3 = bU.sub.R1

and that to achieve a voltage and temperature independent collector current I* of the transistor T₁, the circuit is so dimensioned that the following relationships between the constants K₁, K₂, n, m, b apply:

    K.sub.2 = nK.sub.1, 1/n = 1+1/b, m = b.

The collector of the additional transistor T₃ can be connected to different places of the two other transistors T₁, T₂. Preferably the collector of the transistor T₃ is connected either to the collector electrode or to an emitter electrode (FIG. 1) of transistor T₂. However, the collector of transistor T₃ can even be connected to the collector electrode of transistor T₁ (FIG. 3). The transistors T₁ and T₃ have the same sequence of regions i.e., they are the same polarity type (npn in the illustrated circuit).

The circuit has the two complementary transistors T₁ and T₂, both of which are driven in the emitter circuit. The transistor T₁ is, for example, a npn transistor; then the transistor T₂ is a pnp transistor. The collector of the transistor T₂ is connected to the emitter electrode of the transistor T₁. Both electrodes are connected via the common resistance R₁ to the negative terminal of the direct voltage supply U_(B). The emitter electrode of the transistor T₂ is connected via the resistance R₂ = n.sup.. R₁ to the positive terminal of the supply voltage source. The collector connection of the transistor T₁ is connected to the same terminal of the supply voltage source via the ballast or load resistance R_(L). The constant current I* should flow through the ballast resistance R_(L) and produce a voltage across it corresponding to the current I* and is thus likewise predetermined. The voltage U₁ = K₁.sup.. U_(B) lies between the base electrode of the transistor T₁ and the negative pole of the supply voltage source. The factor K₁ thus determines the voltage part of the supply voltage U_(B) applied to the base electrode of T₁. The voltage U₁ is obtained, for example, with the help of a base voltage divider comprising resistances R₄ and R₅.

In a corresponding manner the voltage U₂ = U_(B) - K₂.sup.. U_(B) lies between the base electrode (FIG. 2) of the transistor T₂ and the negative terminal of the supply voltage source. The factor K₂ thus determines the part of the supply voltage applied between the base electrode of T₂ and the positive terminal of the supply voltage. This voltage U₂ can also be realized, for example, with the help of a base voltage divider comprising resistances R₆ and R₇.

The npn transistor T₃ is connected via the emitter resistance R₃ = mR₁ to the negative terminal of the supply voltage, while the collector of T₃ is connected, for example, as shown in FIG. 1 to the emitter of transistor T₂. At the base electrode of transistor T₃ is applied the voltage U₃ = bU_(R1), when U_(R1) is the voltage across the resistance R₁. A current, current I₃, by which temperature conditioned variations of the current I₂ are compensated for, is taken off through the transistor T₃ from the transistor T₂, which supplies at the emitter path of the transistor T₁ a current of the value I₂.

In the case of the circuit described, for the constant current I* flowing through the ballast resistance R_(L) the following applies: ##EQU1##

From the condition that the current I* should be independent of the supply direct voltage, there results the specification:

    K.sub.2 = nK.sub.1

from the further condition that the current I* should also be temperature independent, the following specifications result:

    1/n = 1+1/b

    m = b

If the specifications are maintained in the dimensioning of the circuit, a constant current I* through the ballast resistance R_(L) is obtained over and above temperature and the direct voltage of the supply.

For example it is specified that the current should be I* = 1mA large. If the values for k₁ = 1/2, b = 1, and R₁ = 1kOhm are assumed, there results from the above-listed equations:

    n = 0.5; m = b = 1, and K.sub.2 = 0.25

the resistance R₃ must thus be the same size as R₁, whereas the resistance R₂ is only half as large as R₁. At the base of T₁ is applied half the supply voltage, at the base of T₂ is applied 75% of the supply voltage. The voltage U₃ = bU_(R1) = b.sup.. I*.sup.. R₁ = 1×1mA×1kOhm = 1 volt is applied to the base of T₃. The supply voltage U_(B) amounts, for example, to 10 volts. In tests it has been shown that the current I* remains absolutely constant even over a temperature range of 150°C. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A constant current source with a current independent of the supply voltage and the temperature, comprising: first and second complementary transistors with the emitter of said first transistor being connected via an emitter resistance R₁, across which, in operation, a voltage U_(R1) drops, to one pole of a direct voltage supply U_(B), the emitter of said second transistor being connected via an emitter resistance R₂ = nR₁ to the other pole of said direct voltage supply U_(B), the collector of said first transistor being connected via a load resistance R_(L) to said other pole for said direct voltage supply U_(B), and the collector of said second transistor being connected to the emitter of said first transistor; a further transistor T₃ through which a part of the current is removed from one of said first and second transistors, the emitter of said further transistion being connected via an emitter resistance R₃ = mR₁ to a terminal of said direct voltage supply, and the collector of said further transistor being connected to one of the emitters and collectors of said first and second transistors; and means for applying in operation the following direct voltages with assigned indices

    U.sub.1 = K.sub.1 U.sub.B, U.sub.2 = U.sub.B - K.sub.2 U.sub.B, U.sub.3 = bU.sub.R1,

to the bases of said first, said second and said further transistors respectively; and wherein the circuit is so dimensioned that the following interrelationships between the constants k₁, k₂, n, m, b apply:

    K.sub.2 = nK.sub.1, 1/n = 1+1/b, m=b,

whereby a voltage and temperature independent collector current I* for said first transistor is achieved.
 2. A constant current source as defined in claim 1, wherein said collector of said further transistor is connected to the emitter electrode of said second transistor.
 3. A constant current source as defined in claim 1, wherein said first and further transistors comprise transistors with the same region sequence.
 4. A constant current source as defined in claim 1, wherein: said first and further transistors are npn transistors, the emitter electrodes of which are connected via the associated emitter resistance to the negative terminal of said direct voltage supply, while said second transistor is a pnp transistor, the emitter electrode of which is connected via its emitter resistance to the positive terminal of said direct voltage supply.
 5. A constant current source as defined in claim 1 wherein said collector of said further transistor is connected to the collector electrode of said second transistor.
 6. A constant current source as defined in claim 1 wherein said collector of said further transistor is connected to the collector electrode of said first transistor.
 7. A constant current source circuit comprising: a direct voltage supply; a first transistor; a first emitter resistance connected between the emitter electrode of said first transistor and a first pole of said direct voltage supply; a load resistance connected between the collector electrode of said first transistor and the second pole of said direct voltage supply; a second transistor complementary to said first transistor; a second emitter resistance connected between the emitter electrode of said second transistor and said second pole of said direct voltage supply; means connecting the collector of said second transistor with the emitter of said first transistor; a third transistor, of the same polarity type as said first transistor, through which part of the current from one of said first and second transistors is removed, said third transistor having its collector electrode connected to one of the emitter and collector electrodes of said first and second transistors; a third emitter resistance connected between the emitter electrode of said third transistor and said first pole of said direct voltage supply; and means for applying respective voltages to the bases of said first, second, and third transistors; and wherein said circuit and said voltages applied to the bases of said transistor have the following characteristics:

    R.sub.2 = nR.sub.1, R.sub.3 = mR.sub.1

    u.sub.1 = k.sub.1 u.sub.b

    u.sub.2 = u.sub.b - k.sub.2 u.sub.b

    u.sub.3 = bU.sub.R1

wherein of said further transistor being R₁ is the value of said first emitter resistance R₂ is the value of said second emitter resistance R₃ is the value of said third emitter resistance U₁ is the voltage applied to the base of said first transistor U₂ is the voltage applied to the base of said second transistor U₃ is the voltage applied to the base of said third transistor U_(B) is the voltage of the direct voltage supply U_(R1) is the voltage drop across R₁ and K₁, K₂, n, m, and b are constants in which

    K.sub.2 = nK.sub.1

    1/n = 1+1/b

    m = b. 